The Carleton Ravens women’s soccer team traveled to Toronto this weekend for two crucial games against the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues and the Ryerson Rams in hopes of moving up the rankings and landing a playoff spot.
This weekend was not what the Ravens would have hoped for. After a hard-fought game filled with missed opportunities against the Varsity Blues and a game that was spent very much on the back foot against the Rams, the Ravens return home with two tough losses.
On Sept. 23, the Ravens were outplayed in the first half being outshot 7-2 by the Varsity Blues, but neither side could capitalize.
This is thanks in large part to Ravens goalkeeper, Rada Mintchev, who was on top of her game, stopping 10 of the 11 shots she faced on the day.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair. As the half progressed, Ravens defender Melat Cherent was able to create space for herself on the right side of the pitch, but was unable to capitalize on the offensive drive.
Opportunities for both sides were plenty but none were able to finish, and the match seemed destined to end in a nil-nil draw.
That is until, in the 85th minute, Varsity Blues’ Chelsea Cheung was able to head a rebound into an empty net as the Ravens keeper was recovering from the initial shot. This late goal was enough to seal the victory as the Blues walked away with three vital points.
This loss made the match the following day a must-win. The Ravens were set to play the Ryerson Rams on a scorcher of a day. The Rams came firing right out of the gate, netting three goals before the 20th minute.
Cheyenne Bent was able to respond in the 21st minute, scoring her first as a Raven. This did not faze the Rams as they continued their offensive onslaught, scoring twice more before the end of the half to bring the score to 4-1.
The Ravens came out with a newfound intensity in the second half, creating plenty of opportunities in the offensive zone and holding off the Rams offence.
However, similar to the previous game the Ravens weren’t able to finish on any of the chances that were given to them.
The Rams were able to add one more goal before the end of the match, ending the game with a score of 5-1 and dashing any hopes the Ravens had of moving up the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) rankings.
The Ravens are currently sitting in 7th place in the Eastern conference, three points behind the red-hot Laurentian Voyageurs.
They will have a chance to turn things around after a three-game losing skid next weekend when they travel to take on Nipissing in a 7th place verse 8th place battle.
The next day the team will take on the Voyageurs looking to pass the 6th ranked team.
The Ravens will need to be in fine form as they enter the back half of the season to fight for that elusive final playoff spot in the hopes of keeping their playoff dreams alive.
Photo by Trevor Swann
